Friday, August 28, 2009

In the depths of winter, I finally found there was in me an invincible summer.- Albert Camus, author

Stepping closer to the light at the end of the tunnel

Hard times are inevitable--death, financial struggle, family problems, the loss of a job, depression--all of these tough times are just seasons.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "This too shall pass," and you can apply it to both the good times and the bad.

The thrill of a new relationship won't endure forever, just as the grief of losing a loved one won't either. So endure the hardships of life, knowing that time will eventually heal your wounds and you will make it through.

Think about what struggles have occurred in your life and what they taught you. No matter how dim the light at the end of the tunnel seems, it is still a light. Each day is an opportunity for that light of hope to get closer and closer, until eventually the clouds above your head part and you feel the forgotten sunshine on you again. Overcoming pain makes you stronger and better equipped to handle the next valley.

Now from me...

Sur une note qui donne à réfléchir~On a sobering note...

Ok on August 29th,2005... Hurricane Katrina made landfall in South east Louisiana.

A sobering thought: Please take a moment today in the midst of all the everyday things, the stresses & the joys in your world & be mindful of the survivors of Katrina from Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana & Texas.

Today, observations on the anniversary of Katrina will be made with many reflections such as mine. And many will bring their own unique perspective, like I, to express what it means, not means, should have meant on this occasion.

There are still 4 years later well over 3,000+ people in Louisiana alone who were swept out to sea and many who are still MIA.

It is rather sad that now it has become a short byte on the news and even the major networks have not made a comment about it nationally, yet,except CNN. Easy how somethingcan fade so quickly as new troubles loom.

(If you have cable CNN tonight 10pm EST/7pm PST will be doing a piece called "After the Storm" where N.O is today).

I can say to one and all no matter where you sit on how all this happened and what was or not done do something.

And if you cannot do something for the citizens of the Gulf Coast, know among you in your towns are former evacuees who has set up residency. Be mindful that you may not know who you are talking to so if you have something negative to say, keep it to yourself. No matter if you feel people "should let go, move on or what's wrong with you etc" today they do not need to hear that opinion.

In fact it is nothing short of remarkable the improvements that have been made. Make no mistake it will all not come together at one time nor in the way people expect it to.

In the case of N.O you cannot rebuild almost 300 year old city in 4 years. Just like many here who are re sparking their lives & health, this is being done on a far larger scale. Pre Katrina there were 800 restaurants. Post Katrina there are over 1,000. It has been nothing short of extraordinary what ordinary people can do or rise to the challenge.

As of now 72% of N.O pre-Katrina population is there including, the visionaries, entrepreneurs, community activists, artists, planners and people looking to be of service in something bigger then themselves.

Oh the energy is alive & kicking.

Laissez la bonne ville grandir (Let the Good Town Grow!)

But we should not want to forget, ever. Not completely... To do so it will be as human being can do, become complacent & too comfortable. I am not talking about picking at wounds not allowing them to heal, but remember, not letting the ones who died, those communities still building or ones who are still dealing with trauma to have what they endured be in vain...If you have never met with that level of devastation and shock you have no right to burden someone needlessly.

At least not today...

And if you cannot assist them, assist someone in your community with a kind word, a smile or a flower in honor of them...

I am not so naive as to believe things are idyllic or peachy keen.

Lots need to be done, but I think we are going to set anew, a level or a model for others not only in the U.S. but globally since we have been thrust into being the spectacle in the arena

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what a man does with what happens to him.- Aldous Huxley, writer

Breaking the cycle of failure

One experience builds on another and that is how life evolves. We should not simply "live and learn" but rather "live, learn, and improve." We all make mistakes in life. Do you learn from yours or do you have a cycle of making the same ones over and over? Perhaps you want to lose weight but always seem to fail, never seem to finish your reports at work, or have a hard time following through on your obligations. Examine some past failures and review where you went off track with your goal. Don't mistake failing with "I am a failure," as no one is perfect all the time. Take what you have learned and apply it to the next situation.

The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work:Alaska------------ --------- --------- --------- ----

The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...)

------------ --------- --------- --------- ----

The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven:$ 16,400------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour:61,000------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair..

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:

Spades - King DavidHearts - CharlemagneClubs -Alexander, the GreatDiamonds - Julius Caesar-------- ---- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------Only two people signed the Declaration of Independenc e on July 4, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?A. Honey------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase...'Goodnight , sleep tight'

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----- -In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.'

It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill , they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!

Don't delete this just because it looks weird. Believe it or not, you can read it.

"I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the first and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? "

The need to weather hard times is constantly part of our business and personal lives. Do you ever think of these hurdles in a positive light? The next time you are faced with opposition, instead of looking at it as a source of anxiety, view it as an opportunity! Can you apply what you have learned to other areas of your life? Will this experience make you stronger and wiser next time around? Sometimes the worst and most painful experiences are the ones that help us grow the most. Having a positive attitude can deflate even the scariest situation. Overcoming adversity can help you achieve the extraordinary!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him no good.~ Ann Landers

Magnifying small sacrifices

How do you treat people who cannot (or choose not to) repay you for the good things that you have done for them? Do you hold a grudge, speak ill of them, or constantly keep score? Think about a homeless man in need of a hot meal, the elderly woman who cannot open the door by herself at the store, or a lost child. Probably none of these individuals could equally compensate you for any sacrifices you make on their behalves. There remains but two choices--help or ignore. Our minds easily jump to putting them out of our minds and going about our days. But imagine the good you could do if you took a small moment of your time or the change out of your pocket. Such a small sacrifice (from your perspective of course), could have a 10-fold positive impact!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

For sound sleep, no pillow is as soft as a clean conscience.- Anonymous

Are you getting the best night's sleep possible?

Many people have difficulty getting a good night's rest. Sleep plays a crucial role in your health and well-being. Often we lose sleep because our minds are preoccupied with going over the day's events or planning for future ones. If you have problems sleeping, try creating a journal. Write out your worries and fears about what is happening in your life. Are you considering a career change? Are your in-laws coming for a visit? Do you have a strained relationship with someone? Allow your thoughts to flow out honestly to better prepare for a good night's rest.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

It is the path of least resistance that makes rivers and men crooked.- B.J. Palmer, father of chiropractic

Struggling to find your voice

In the face of conflict we might be tempted to just go with the flow and not make waves. The path of least resistance is saying "yes" when you want to say "no" and that road is always paved with regrets and mistakes.

While compromise is good and a necessary part of healthy relationships, no one should have to fully deny their feelings and remain voiceless while others dominate a situation. It might feel easier to nod your head and passively agree, but in the long run you are being cheated. While there might be a whole list of justifications and excuses for stepping off the path of your principles, staying true to yourself reaps countless more rewards than selling out to appease someone else.

Reconcile today the negative passivity you have displayed in the past.

Friday, August 14, 2009

In Buddhism, there are several categories of suffering, one of which is called "The Suffering of Suffering," which is different from the normal suffering human beings face.

We all experience loss and disappointment. But we increase our suffering when we develop complex stories about where it came from, where it's going, or whose fault it all is. I'm not saying we shouldn't be thoughtful about the events of our life, but at a certain point, all that storytelling becomes counterproductive.

Instead of analyzing your feelings, you can consider the counsel of American Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön: "Feel the feeling and drop the story."

Try this: When you notice you're beginning to spin out, instead of thinking about your suffering, feel it. Notice where it resides in your body, whether it feels hot or cold, dull or sharp, speedy or spacey. You could even cry or stomp around. Be patient and let yourself feel what you're feeling as an end in itself. You'll be amazed at how much faster suffering resolves itself when you cut out the suffering of suffering.

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.- Flora Whittemore, author

Small steps that lead us to achievement

There are natural consequences that accompany every choice we make in life. Some opportunities inevitably pass us by, but we can take advantage of others. Many people feel powerless, but this is rarely the case--some opportunities just require a little thinking outside the box. Today, reflect on the doors you are opening in your world and which ones are closing. You have the power to create the life you want if you are willing to set goals and take steps toward them. Rarely does fulfilling our hopes and dreams happen overnight, but you can take one tiny move towards them each day.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing.~- Hindu Proverb

What wealth do you possess?There is a long-standing tradition for Buddhist monks to rise each morning very early and set out to collect alms bowls, and go out into their community to collect donations of food, usually merely rice or a simple curry. Surprisingly though, none of this food is eaten, as the monks are typically well-stocked at their monastery. Why? This age-old tradition is still in existence simply to allow the nearby townspeople to experience the joy of giving. Do you have resources or talent that you can use to help others? Hoarding what you have wastes opportunities and fails to leave a positive mark on the world. Whether you have money, talent, time, knowledge, or energy, each should be shared. No one is better off by keeping wealth--tangible or intangible--to himself or herself.

African tribal storyteller. The griot's role was to preserve the genealogies and oral traditions of the tribe. Griots were usually among the oldest men. In places where written language is the prerogative of the few, the place of the griot as cultural guardian is still maintained. In Senegal, for example, the griot — without resorting to fantasy — recites poems or tells stories of warriors, drawing on his own sources of inspiration.

Griot: n.A storyteller in western Africa who perpetuates the oral tradition and history of a village or family.[French, alteration of guiriot, perhaps ultimately from Portuguese criado, domestic servant, from Latin creātus, one brought up or trained, from past participle of creāre, to produce, bring up.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?By: William Rivers Pitt, TRUTHOUT

"Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans, And miss it each night and day? I know I'm not wrong, the feeling's getting stronger, The longer I stay away" ... - Louis Armstrong

Monday 03 August 2009 - The city of New Orleans will be on the minds of many in the coming days and weeks. The four-year anniversary of the worst civil catastrophe in American history - one of the worst such catastrophes in all of human history - will soon be upon us. It was four years ago, the length of one presidential term, that a storm came, and the seas rose, and the levees fell and a city was, for all practical purposes, murdered right before our eyes.Four years ago, it happened like this.

On August 23, 2005, Tropical Depression Twelve swallowed up the remains of Tropical Depression Ten over the Bahamas and Puerto Rico and began moving towards the United States. Two days later, the storm was designated a hurricane and named Katrina. It made landfall in Florida and swung to the south-southwest, gathering strength from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A day later, the storm's track was recalibrated by the National Hurricane Center, with the line pointing straight into the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency, and the Louisiana National Guard was mobilized.By dawn the next day, Katrina had become a Category 3 hurricane. Evacuations, at first voluntary and later mandatory, were ordered in the parishes that lay across the path of the storm. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin emphasized to residents of the Ninth Ward to get a head start on the evacuation. Ten truckloads of water and meals were delivered to the Superdome, enough to support 15,000 refugees for three days. That night, George W. Bush was briefed by National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield on the status of and potential danger posed by Katrina. Forty minutes after midnight, Katrina became a Category 4 hurricane.

By 7:00 AM (CDT), Katrina had become a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph and gusts up to 215 mph. The storm was expected to make landfall overnight, and New Orleans lay directly in its path. Mayor Nagin ordered the mandatory evacuation of the city, and close to 30,000 people poured into the Superdome seeking shelter. George W. Bush participated in a video conference with Max Mayfield and FEMA Director Michael Brown, who warned Mr. Bush that the storm was more severe than Andrew, was headed directly for New Orleans and the city's levees were in grave danger of collapse. Brown emphatically described Katrina as "the big one."Mr. Bush said exactly 40 words - one sentence promising support - and stayed mute for the rest of the meeting.That was Sunday, August 28, 2005, the last day the city of New Orleans would exist as we have known it. At 6:10 AM (CDT) the next day, Katrina made landfall in Louisiana.

By the end of that Monday, virtually the entire city of New Orleans was under more than ten feet of water. Rooftops began to disappear under the incoming tide. Levee after levee failed, an event later blamed on the Louisiana Army Corps of Engineers, despite the fact that George W. Bush that same year had stripped more than $70 million in funding for the maintenance of those levees - virtually the entire Louisiana COE budget - to pay for his ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Like a slow-motion nightmare, Americans watched the steady annihilation of New Orleans unfold on television while Bush discussed immigration with Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff, shared a birthday cake photo-op with Sen. John McCain, promoted his Medicare Drug Benefit plan in Arizona and California and went to bed without responding to Governor Blanco's urgent plea for assistance. "Mr. President, we need your help," read the message she had relayed to Bush that day. "We need everything you've got." There would be no reply that day.

It was not until the middle of the next day that Director Chertoff became aware that the New Orleans levees had failed and that the city was in mortal peril. Mr. Bush played guitar on television with country star Mark Willis next to split-screen images of bodies floating in the floodwaters and scenes of residents "looting" stores, much of which was perpetrated by stranded citizens seeking food and shelter. It had been three days since tens of thousands of people had sought shelter in the Superdome, food and water were running out, sanitary conditions were execrable, the heat became overwhelming and people started dying like insects stuffed in a killing bottle by a cruel, sadistic child. Residents trying to flee across the bridge were turned back at gunpoint.

The city of New Orleans finally collapsed into chaos and drowned in salt water on national television.

A city still stands where New Orleans once was, and bears the same name, but it is not the same city, and never will be again. The death toll will never be known, because the river and the swamp and the sea took so many and kept them, because those who were lost were mostly the unnumbered poor who lacked the means to flee, because back in those days, we didn't do body counts. Thousands upon thousands of the city's residents are still gone four years later, either to the grave or to far-flung points on the compass, evacuees with no way to return home and, in many cases, no homes to return to. Most of the Ninth Ward still remains a sculpture of rubble and destruction to this day.

What does it mean to miss New Orleans?It means knowing that one of the most golden citadels of our shared history - a cradle of multiculturalism, the birthplace of jazz, seed corn of so much that is America - was allowed to die of neglect, disdain, racism, greed and simple stupidity right before our eyes. A city stands where New Orleans once was, but it is not New Orleans, not really. All that was the city, all that it gave this country, and so many of the people who lived there, are gone forever.

Do not forget, do not let your children forget, what it means to miss New Orleans.

William Rivers Pitt is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of two books: "War on Iraq: What Team Bush Doesn't Want You to Know" and "The Greatest Sedition Is Silence." His newest book, "House of Ill Repute: Reflections on War, Lies, and America's Ravaged Reputation," is now available from PoliPointPress.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Here is a rough draft of something I wrote quite awhile back. It is in a rough form. But I would appreciate feedback on the feeling, the flavor of what you read. I have someone who will do editing so I am not necessarily needing anything other did you enjoy (or not) and why...

It was on this day balmy with whispers of a sweetness hovering Autumn came upon a decade old manuscript that she had with promises to return to and never did. It had been one of nearly a decade of promises that she did not keep. One more & one more & still one more thing crowded in blocking the sounds & whispers until she could pretend not to hear any longer.

She had many just not yet dreams carelessly tossed around the face of the moon, dancing in a light that had been dazzling but soon fizzle as another beautiful sizzling thought would come on a breath and left in the wind. Something happened on this day.Something of a time as ripe as she laid there drifting about hearing in Stevie’s Songs in the Keys of Life stirring her memories to a place and a time 3 times 10 years ago when she felt she was a free woman... How odd it was Autumn found searching for her songs that she had placed on mute in her garden a moment where reading her own words hearing again the whispers, seeing the flavor & tones from so long ago and wondering if she could begin again. And then this day came… A near impossibly perfect day surrounded by remnants of a long neglected garden Autumn began. Accompanied by Stevie’s songs playing for company she decided to attend her long neglected garden. The surface of the ground was springy and cushioned her every move as she wandered and wondered how this garden grew into such a hodgepodge of disarray, but yet beautiful. It had been many moons since she bothered to step in to it, as she lived her life from inside her room and her head.

The gloxinias and the morning glories were entangled; many of her magnificent ferns were discolored from unattended fronds that had died. But yet she could still see how valiant the dahlias were impervious to the neglect raising magnificent heads on seemingly impossible stems , the lemon balm fragrance dancing in perfect harmony with the sight of her impatients doing what they needed to until she was ready.

Her journal and her favorite purple pen was right where she left them a decade ago... though pages were wrinkled & warped from days and nights in the elements in the rusted box they were still readable. Autumn's fingers moved in rapidly moving through pages of spilling thoughts from long ago. Disregarding the purpose she originally came into the garden, for the rest of the day she read, read and read some more of the words, thoughts & dreams she had put aside. She knew, while doing this, what she was going to have to do.

A professional in finding excuses costumed as a good reason for not getting started, Autumn had not a problem with stopping what was suppose to be a full day of work in this garden.

Turning to the last entry she read thoughtfully out loud:

Give us this Day~there lies the time& space in which we Live1978

My special and favorite time is Sunday morning. It wasn’t always this way, but it is now. My usual ritual consisted of upon my arousal I would around 6am spend time nurturing my garden watering, feeding, weeding, plucking away dead leaves, feeling the coolness of the refreshed morning air simply enjoying the sounds lost in my thoughts… I would , have my breakfast, read my newspaper, listen to Soul train and write. Many time just a whisper of a unconsciously smiling It may not be unique for some but for me I find it interesting as once upon a time when I was till in my 20’s I dreaded, resented Sundays.

James Baldwin had once said: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced”. It took awhile & some maturing to get why I felt that way, but lets just say I do not feel that way any longer.

I am not, no matter what people may think, a political person. I am however an observer of life and human behavior in all its vastness, its simplicity and its tendency to make things far more complex then needed. . People never cease to amaze me in the things they do with capability to rise so high and then slam bam falling face first into concrete And then adding insult to injury get up and walk away as if nothing has happened trailing bits & pieces of their pride, humility, embarrassment likes so many colorful pieces of chastened confetti behind them making such a mess!

For me, watching life & dynamics but staying a respectful distance sometimes shows me at the end of the day that some of the needless-ness has about as much worth as a Confederate bill in the Great Depression. Knowing that preserving the air & energy it takes to expended is as needed as it keeps me from running screaming into the woods if one gets too caught up!

But just like my youthful intensity, I have reconciled my dislike for Sunday. I’ve changed... A lot .

I had to learn that when people have an intense response to something may be a tickling or an agitation of a long forgotten memory or a longing for something denied. And the passion that it arises in working it out can be a wondrous sight to behold! That memory does not have to be a bad or painful one, though it can be, but it is amazing to see its resurfacing in ways that can indeed bring about discussion, action and ultimately change (hopefully)

I still hold to the belief when all has been said & done, people want to do the right thing, may go about it in screwy ways at times, but want to do the right thing.

Yet there are times when believing that is stretch uncomfortably.

I do feel that good hearted people still outweighs the others, but the "circle" people gets more air time. My lesson from these folks is "this is what you do not want to be & if there's a hint of it in you, eradicate it quickly”.

I know I am a flawed person, 'tis true, but I hope in a good way to keep life interesting.

I do not have the answers or solutions, merely an observer who still believes in miracles... And imagine I thought all of this as I sat in my garden on this given day…

Je suis la Lune~I am Moon

JACQUELYN HUGHES MOONEY Visual Poet/Lecturer/Idealist-Dreamer/Seasoned Storytelling Woman creating vibrant, jazzy, contemporary, quilted textile collages, shaped her "rhythm & views" with daydreams, books, dollhouses & coloring books with exuberance packing a NOLa vibe with a West Coast groove!
She will challenge the beholder to embrace the world with fire & passion, often incorporate in the quilts, poetry & storytelling divergent patterns that can whisper or shout a compelling story. She want for people to appreciate that even "mistakes"/imperfections/ raw edges can have a beauty of its own.
Highly empathetic & intuitive, her sensitivity to others' plights is tempered with her belief that every person deserves dignity & respect which is the roots of her Fig Tree Project. With her mes affaires belle (my beautiful belongings), Jacquelyn is
very interpretive, ageless, spatial ,centered, meaningful in her art can/is be all things to all people.
Rhythm & Hues beats, hums, sings and speaks ...
It poses, profiles, winks, smiles and smirks ...
It all but breathes ...
But then it does that, too.